Watch: Let’s Stop Bullying

When people think about bullying many imagine something like this: one child yelling at another to give up their lunch money. But the reality of bullying is very different and unfortunately much more severe. Did you know that over 70% of students report that bullying is a problem at their school? And that about one out of ten middle school kids drop out of or change schools due to bullying?

Broadly speaking bullying can be defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves some kind of power imbalance. Bullying isn’t limited to physical abuse – verbal, emotional, and cyberbullying are also common in many schools. Although bullying is commonly associated with kids and adolescents it also impacts adults.

Helping a child through a bullying situation can be complicated and often requires collaboration between parents, kids, teachers, and school counselors. If you are concerned that your child is being bullied it is especially important to ask your child how their day at school went. Because some children feel embarrassed about being bullied, asking about this topic directly may not help you find an answer.

Bullying can contribute to students feeling socially isolated, worthless or depressed. In addition, the psychological effects of bullying can last well into adulthood and increase a person’s chance of experiencing things like anxiety disorders. Contacting a psychologist may be a good way to help your child overcome their bullying situation. Together, you and your psychologist can identify healthy strategies to improve the overall quality of your child’s functioning at school

-yours truly- -Chaim Rothman-

A Studio 123 Production

Produced by Shia Fried
Directed by Boruch Tyberg
Filmed by Sruly Saftlas
Edited by Shaya Weider

4 COMMENTS

I’m an adult with grown kids of my own. Of all the things I’ve done that I regret and wish I could undo, treating others unkindly is #1 on my list. What’s #2 on the list? I’m not even sure, but whatever it is, it isn’t close.
I’ve asked for mechila years ago and was kindly granted it, but it still disturbs me terribly whenever I recall hurting others. It isn’t only the victim who’s hurt by bullying, but also the bully – sometimes immediately via punishment and sometimes years later by regret and charata over past actions.

You should be grateful you live in the US of A, where they work on bullying. I live across the ocean, in the Holy Land, and there isn’t a word in Hebrew for bullying! Hence, the problem doesn’t exist. Now, really. Of course it does, but it’s not dealt with as a whole, so it’s not seen for what it is, they can’t evaluate who is/are the perpetrators, and mainly, what has to be done, what steps to take. Watching your child being bullied and knowing that help is available but simultaneously n o t available – can you imagine how helpless I feel? That hysterical A m e r i c a n mother, there she goes again, whining, elaborate eye roll. Can’t take her seriously regarding anything, nor her kid. Let ’em suffer. Too bad.